Goodbye
by heidipoo
Summary: The search for a safe house leads to a death and an infection. Can Zoey say goodbye?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N: It's seven in the morning and I just got this idea. Enjoy, review, and check out my other stories.**

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"Did I ever tell you the one time when Keith and I prank called-" Ellis started in that southern drawl of his.

"Yes." Nick interrupted rudely. Ellis chuckled.

"How about the time we took gaters and-" The young man started again but this time was cut off by Francis.

"Pretty sure you told us that one too." The bald tattooed man said. At least he wasn't as rude as Nick.

"How about the time Keith put firecrackers up-"

"Yeah. That one too." Rochelle answered sweetly. Ellis groaned as he tried to think of another story to entertain his recent friends.

"Well dammit..." Ellis muttered as the seven survivors kept walking in search for a safe house. It was Coach, Rochelle, Nick, Louis, Francis, Zoey and Ellis. "How about the time we drove dirt bikes off-" Ellis started.

"Yes!" Nick and Francis yelled at the same time making Ellis frown.

"Will you two shut the hell up?" Coach asked. "Gonna call a hoard or something." He muttered under his breath as the group kept walking through a thick forest. It was dark, no moon, no stars. You could hardly see anything. That's why finding a safe house was so important.

"Well fine then. I won't talk to y'all anymore." Ellis said quietly and he then felt someone tugging on his arm. He turned to look and it was none other than Zoey. He had a little crush on Zoey, but he was too shy to admit any feelings for the girl.

"I haven't heard that story Ellis..." She said softly as she looked up at him with her green eyes. Ellis smiled at the pretty girl, and his eyes lit up.

"Keith and me, we bought some cheap dirt bikes off an old man. One time we got drunk and Keith though it would be a good idea to drive the bikes off my roof..." The mechanic started. "Well turns out it was a terrible idea." He said and Zoey giggled. She loved Ellis' stories. "Keith broke both of his arms and he wouldn't talk to me for a whole week!" Ellis exclaimed.

"Safe house up ahead!" Louis called out as he shined his flashlight towards an abandoned store.

"Thank God." Rochelle murmured as they continued to walk. It was quiet for a few minutes as the group continued to walk, until the nasty cough of a smoker seemed to ring throughout the air. The survivors then became alert.

"Watch out y'all." Coach muttered as he searched for the special infected. Then it was completely silent, until you heard Ellis' sharp scream.

"Help!" The mechanic yelled as he was being pulled away by the smoker. The ground was hurting his already injured back as he got closer to the infected.

"It's got Ellis!" Zoey called out and started to run into the darkness.

"Zoey wait!" Rochelle screamed then ran after her. The other survivors had no choice but to run after the two girls.

Ellis couldn't control his coughing as he got closer and closer to the smoker. His shirt was ripped open, and he could feel blood spilling as he was pulled on the ground. Soon the smoker had him.

"Ellis! Where are you?" Zoey called as she tried to navigate through darkness.

"Zoey!" Ellis yelled as the smoker tore him apart. But Zoey still couldn't find him. All of a sudden, the smoker was shot dead with a single headshot from Rochelle and Ellis fell to the ground coughing as Zoey ran up to him.

"Are you okay?" She asked and Ellis nodded. But he was lying. The mechanic was bleeding severely, and it hurt to breathe. Zoey then kneeled down beside the injured man.

"I'm fine darlin'." He said with a smirk but Zoey shook her head and her orbs danced in unfallen tears.

"No..." She whispered. "I need a damn health kit!" She yelled to the other survivors who were trying to catch up to Ellis and Zoey.

"We don't have any..." Nick mumbled and Ellis' eyes fluttered closed.

"Did you check in the safe house?" Coach asked.

"None." Francis said as she shined a flashlight on Ellis' open wounds. Zoey gasped. They were so bad.

"I'll be okay!" Ellis said and tried to set up but fell back down. Zoey then hurriedly took off her pink hoodie and used it to prop up the mechanic's head. She knew, they all knew that he might not make it.

"Do we have any pills?" Rochelle asked quietly.

"We having nothing." Louis answered for everybody, and that's when the tears slid down Zoey's dirty cheeks.

"Dammit!" She yelled as she sobbed. Ellis was sinking lower and into more darkness. It felt as if he was drowning. His blue eyes fluttered open and saw Zoey crying.

"Hey don't cry." He soothed as he rubbed her back.

"You're dying." She sobbed. "And we can't save you."

"Zoey?" Ellis asked. She stopped crying but only for a moment.

"Yeah Ellis?" She answered and he smiled at her.

"Remember the first time I saw you?" He asked her and Zoey smiled. How could she ever forget? The day she met Ellis was the best day of her life.

"Of course." She said as tears welled up again. The other survivors watched in silence, not wanting to intrude on the two's intimate moment. "You were so shy around me." She laughed and Ellis coughed.

"That's 'cause you're so pretty." He complimented and Zoey grabbed his hand and squeezed it.

"Ellis, I love you okay?" Zoey whispered and bent down to peck the mechanic on his chapped lips.

"I love you too." In that moment, Ellis had the most brilliant smile on his face, and then his eyes fluttered closed. He was gone.

"Goodbye." Zoey whispered as tears slid down her cheeks again.


	2. Chapter 2

His eyes terrified her the most. Once baby blue with flecks of gray and green; the eyes that comforted her peace of mind so many times. Now they were sunken in and bloodshot; a stab of petrified agony.

"Zoey, we need to move." Coach said but Zoey only refused. She wanted to watch the transformation. She wanted to be here.

"No." She said quietly.

"Please?" Rochelle begged.

His body decomposes remorsefully, contaminated, and rancid. His once beautiful baby face now green and covered with dried blood. His putrid scent filled her nostrils and took her breath away. His eyes fixed on her with a sullen stare. So this is what they've come to, predator and prey. Zoey has become the enemy, but she was not afraid. She couldn't be afraid.

"Ellis." She barely manages in a broken whisper. He stood there, still staring at her. The heartbroken look still written in his eyes tells her that he's realized his fate. A lone tear slides down her cheek and he sees it.

"Zoey." He gurgles. She can barely understand him when he uttered her name.

"Come on Zoey." Francis said.

"No!" She yelled again. She didn't want to go. She didn't want to leave Ellis behind. She loved him.

A part of her, a sick twisted part of her was attracted to the idea. Loving a zombie. Loving a monster.

His hand is completely bone and is outstretched to her. Fear took over her body and reached down to her heart and she was paralyzed. She was hunted by the person she had loved with all her heart. And he was a zombie now.

She drew her pistols from her belt with a sharp intake of breath, and aimed them at her lover's head. She closed her eyes. She didn't want to do this, but it had to be done. It had to be done before Zoey and her friends got hurt.

"I love you Ellis." She whispered, then pulled the triggers. It wasn't Ellis that she killed. It was infected Ellis. Zoey then began to cry.

"Come on Zoey." Louis comforted and the remaining survivors headed to the recently found safe house.


End file.
